POLY GONUM VIVIP'ARUM. 
VIVIPAROUS POLYGONUM. 
Class. Order. 
OCTANDRIA. TRIGYNIA. 
Natural Order. 
POLYGONEiE. 
Native of 
Height. 
Flowers in 
Duration. 
Britain. 
6 inches. 
May, Sept. 
Perennial. 
Inhabits 
Alp. pastures 
No. 282. 
The name Polygonum is compounded of the two 
Greek words, polu, many; and gonu, a joint, 
and the appellation is well applied to some of the 
plants in this genus, particularly the Polygonum avi- 
culare, or common knot-grass, a very common weed 
on sandy foot paths. Viviparum is a name given 
to this species in allusion to its little viviparous pro- 
geny of bulbs. 
The peculiarity, to which the specific name has 
reference, is by no means common, and may possibly 
be an object of attraction to some non-observers who 
see nothing to wonder at, no subject to excite their 
admiration, in the usual occurrences of the vegetable 
world. So far as the present spread of intellectual- 
ity may open man’s eyes to the wonders of creation 
that surround him ; and render him able, not only to 
see the difference between his own wisdom, and that 
of his Creator, but also thereby to feel somewhat of 
the situation in which he is placed ; so far, we say, 
as this extension of knowledge can be effected, none, 
even the most sceptical, will withhold his voice from 
the support of its continued progress amongst all 
classes of society. 
